The Montreal Canadiens lost again last night, allowing four goals in the first period to the Columbus Blue Jackets and eventually going down 6-3. The team is now 8-29-7 on the year, a points percentage of .261 that would be the very worst of the salary cap era–even worse than the Detroit Red Wings 17-49-5 2019-20 campaign. While they continue to suffer brutal results on the ice, a new management group will need to make some decisions on where to go from here.
One player that has been regarded as someone who will definitely be traded by the March 21 deadline is Ben Chiarot, given his position as a reasonably-priced pending UFA. Chiarot’s three-year, $10.5MM contract ($3.5MM AAV) will expire at the end of this season and includes a no-trade list of just ten teams. The 30-year-old played more than 26 minutes last night against the Blue Jackets and has been relied on more than he likely should throughout the season as the team has obviously felt the absences of defensemen like Shea Weber and Joel Edmundson.
Elliotte Friedman noted on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast that the St. Louis Blues are “very much in there” when it comes to Chiarot trade talks, adding that they’re not the only team involved. He believes that the pending free agent defenseman is likely the first move for new Canadiens GM Kent Hughes, who took over earlier this month.
Another name that has been brought up recently though is Jeff Petry, a player in a very different situation. Petry has three more years on his contract after this one, an extension that was only signed in 2020. He has a 15-team no-trade list and obviously signed to stay with the Canadiens, inking that four-year, $25MM deal as a perennial 40-point defenseman.
Hughes made it clear in a recent interview with La Presse that he’s open to moving Petry if there is a fit, but wouldn’t go so far as to guarantee it is coming soon. Friedman, meanwhile, explained how it might not be best to move him now:
All I’ll say with Petry is, there’s time. You can say ‘okay, if someone wants to do it now, they can do it now.’ But because he’s got term, you can wait until the summer. The one thing about now is that there’s not a lot of cap space. If you trade a Chiarot, and you’re retaining [salary] to make your deal better you only have to do it for now. If you’re trading a Petry and have to retain, there’s term on that.
Among the biggest reasons for Montreal’s demise has been the stark difference in play from Petry, who has just six points in 37 games after posting four consecutive seasons with at least 11 goals and 40 points. In last year’s shortened campaign, he put those numbers up in just 55 games, playing incredible hockey all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. At age 34 with three more years of term, he won’t be an easy deal to make even if someone believes they can get him back to his previous levels.
Would love to see Jeff Petry traded to the Red Wings so he can join his father as a local Detroit sports legend. Dan Petry was a pitcher for the 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers
Yeah, his wife and family are near Detroit.
However, the Wings need is NOT for a RD, and his 34 yo body and $6.25M a year for 3 additional years. Would he or one of our RD play the left side?
How big of a sweetener and how much salary retention would it take for Stevie to make this deal???
Would Montreal retain $2M ???
Petry (retain $2M) + 2022 2nd (33 OA) for a VGK 4th?????
Petry can be traded to 17 teams later on and could be a TDL candidate 2 years from now with more salary retained then if he plays better that this year.
Hahahah
Wtf lol retain money and give up a top 35 pick for the 120th pick in the draft? You’ve lost the plot.
The Wings really do not need him, why would they give more??
Biggest mystery of this season is what’s going on with Jeff
At 33 years of age, Petry had the best year of his career. He has improved over time. Last year’s production over a normal season would have given Petry over 60 points. So now that he is 34, he is over the hill??? Doesn’t make sense.
He’s having a bad year. It happens. He won’t be traded unless a team like the Preds make an offer that Hughes can’t refuse which will need to include an “A” prospect and at least a 2nd round pick in 2023 plus another prospect.
And no, he’s not going to Detroit. He would not fit into Yzerman’s plan.
Not putting up points is one thing .Bigger concern is his lack of leadership and his obvious indifference. Case in point vs the Oilers when Montembeau got ran over. Tbh I don’t see many GMs lining up to pay a significant price for Jeff given his age contract and the awful yr.